Achievements include surpassing water reduction goal four years early
Published 08-01-12
Submitted by Darden Restaurants, Inc
Darden Restaurants today issued its second sustainability report noting it has made progress in all areas of sustainability across its more than 1,900 restaurants, 180,000 employees and global supply chain. Most notably, the company has exceeded its 2015 goal of reducing water consumption in each of its restaurants by 15 percent on aggregate and is more than half way toward meeting the same goal for reducing energy consumption in its restaurants.
"Water scarcity, declining fish stocks, health and wellness and developing future talent – these are just some of the issues shaping our operating environment, our communities and our business,” said Clarence Otis, chairman and CEO of Darden. “We recognize we have the responsibility to make a positive difference around a host of sustainability issues to drive the growth of our company while also creating social value.
The report, organized around three core platforms – People, Planet, Plate – includes accomplishments such as:
People
Planet
Plate
The release of the 2012 sustainability report is one milestone in Darden’s sustainability journey. For example, at the recent Rio+20 conference, Darden was among a select group of companies that announced a four-step framework methodology to assign value to the world’s forests, freshwater and marine systems and ways to reduce risks caused by scarcities of natural resources.
“Effectively minimizing the impact we have within our operations and on the environment enables us to better serve our communities and our guests,” said Drew Madsen, Darden president and chief operating officer. “Just as importantly, we know our employees care about a number of social and environmental issues that we are uniquely positioned to address. We will continue to invest in integrating sustainable best practices across our operations.”
About Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, owns and operates more than 2,000 restaurants that generate over $8.0 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, and employing 180,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2012, Darden was named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the second year in a row and is the only full-service restaurant company to ever appear on the list. Our restaurant brands – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Eddie V’s – reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.
DRI:G
Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI) headquartered in Orlando, Fla., is the world's largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company with $6.7 billion in annual sales and approximately 180,000 employees. The Company owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurants including Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.
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